The state’s two teacher unions and the Louisiana School Boards Association are asking teachers and students across the state to wear black to school or work on Monday, the opening day of the Louisiana Legislature’s spring session. The somber attire is meant to protest Gov. Bobby Jindal’s proposed state budget cuts to education. In light of a projected revenue shortfall of nearly $2 billion, Jindal’s budget includes $219 million in cuts to higher education and almost $200 million in cuts to elementary and secondary schools.
Sponsors of ‘Black Monday’ are appealing to legislators to fully fund education, possibly by dipping into the state’s $400 million economic development megafund. “At stake is the future of Louisiana’s children, and of the administration’s own economic development plan,” says Louisiana School Boards Association Executive Director Nolton Senegal. “One has to question priorities when a $400 million megafund that may, or may not, be used during the fiscal year holds higher priority than training the workforce that will be used to lure business.”
... written by turner pj , April 21, 2009 - 06:40 pm
Asking students to disobey dress codes - real leadership. La. teacher pay now ranks 28th nationally according to NEA. Test results - 50th in jr. & sr. who passed placement exams, 48th in ACT composite scores, 44th in reading tests, & 46th in math tests. Miniscule 1/10 of 1% improvement in last testing hailed as significant improvement. Teachers should wear black every day.
... written by will b , April 24, 2009 - 03:41 pm
swing and a miss, buddy. _Starting_ teacher pay is 26th, but average teacher pay is 44th. this means that over the course of a teaching career, other state's can reward tenure better than Louisiana currently does, encouraging professional development and long-term investment in educating children and adults. We can get them in, but cant keep them ... and cutting budgets to education will lessen the incentives that can be offered.
... written by P. Hall , April 24, 2009 - 07:19 pm
Starting pay may be competitive but overall average pay is not good enough to keep teachers here. Most new teachers use Louisiana as a 'jumping off' point to their teaching career but they usually leave the state for higher pay opportunities. The powers that be are always complaining about the quality of teachers we have, but are not willing to invest in education so that we can draw quality people into education. The students with higher averages who may want to go into education are seeking higher pay in industry/business related fields. If you want more out of educators pay us more.
... written by r , April 26, 2009 - 02:24 am
PJ, the students could wear a black ribbon or something and still be in dress code.
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There will soon be a whole lot of shakin’ going on at Benny’s Sportshack Supplement Depot, a new concept by Opelousas native Benny Nele. Located at 2002 Johnston St., the supplement shop, smoothie bar and café, featuring hot off the press paninis and wraps, plans to open in late May.
Philip deMahy Sr., a once respected New Iberia ad exec, was sentenced May 2 to spend the next two years (he faced up to 100 years) in a state penitentiary after state and federal investigators found dozens of images depicting children engaged in lewd sexual acts on his personal computer.
This year’s Cool Town issue is all about people who are not native to South Louisiana but made a conscious decision to be here, to be among us, to participate in our culture and contribute to it.
A shelved ordinance transferring $200,000 from a northside drainage project to a south Lafayette development may not break any laws, but it stinks to high heaven.
An effort to restore a shuttered dancehall and document other vacant or razed honky-tonks could serve as a model for saving an endangered species of entertainment.
Lafayette’s gene pool has been host to a long line of eccentric characters who have blurred the lines between crazy, genius, disturbed and curiously entertaining.
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